I would expect it to be cheaper than a skim, less labour and fewer materials, surely? But there has always been something about him I just couldn’t put my finger on. The rationale for the skim coat is that it leaves a nicer high end finish, while the other guy claims it will crack within 6 months so might as well slap on some new drywall. 8,271 posts. Long live drywall. Skimcoat. Drywall is dead. the room was smaller (3.5m x 3.5m) . I can’t say that I’ll miss him (I’m assuming drywall is a him), but he seemed nice enough. With our old plaster walls, one wants to patch and skim coat, while the other wants to put 1/4" drywall. Other quotes for the same work was £475 and £375. The term plastering is often used to mean the same thing, so you might say "my walls need plastering" when they need skimming but the term "plastering" is more general so could mean that more than just a skim is required e.g. It probably stems from the days when cob walling was plastered with a mixture of something like lime and livestock manure. other advantages - its CO2 neutral (so better for the environment) and its breathable and is less prone to cracking than normal plaster. Faster than a three-coat old-fashioned plaster job, and less expensive to boot. Plastering the walls and ceiling can work, but to further accentuate the height of this home Lynn Gaffney Architect has clad one of the walls in a timber ply and has carried this through to the ceiling, drawing your eye upwards and making the space feel larger than it is. I got a plasterer to skim the ceilings but T+Jed all the walls myself, I estimate I saved about 2000+ by doing this. learning to skim is not too hard practice on a board a few times i use a pump up garden spray to wet down plank access is needed as steps are a nightmare to plaster from easier and much cheaper than getting a good result with diy products if the walls are really messy fill and lining paper is also good , Even if you use a harder more durable mud or plaster, it will still most likely crack because of the age of your house, and the fact that your walls are already cracking (and will probably continue to do so). Gypsum based skimming is a more durable method when finished than plaster board on its own. 170 months ... you can't sand Gypsum plaster… Skimming is the traditional method used in the UK. Skim coating over the plaster that is already cracking would not be a good idea. Here's my take on drywall vs skim vs full update. Yes for the smaller room it was skimming 3 walls and the ceiling, with artex (mostly) removed from the ceiling before plaster for £350. For walls and ceilings that are in reasonable condition, your plasterer may suggest that they simply need skimming. Plastering ceilings is a more time-consuming job than covering walls, which is why it’s usually more expensive. Saleen836. how about lime plastering - it has the advantage that it doesn't set in seconds so is easier to work with for a plastering n00b . Skimming is lot more expensive than taping and jointing, also taping and jointing can be done by a competent DIYer as opposed to skimming. Fermacell is good stuff but at 3 times the price of standard plasterboard it has a premium. The traditional method used in the UK to skim the ceilings but T+Jed the! Why it ’ s usually more expensive time-consuming job than covering walls, which is why ’. More time-consuming job than covering walls, one wants to patch and coat. 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